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sofa design office
The anteroom returns: changes in appointment furniture
Ryan Hetrick of Capital Choice Appointment Appliance says barter are attractive for home appointment furniture, but the anteroom ability be authoritative a comeback.
Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch
Visitors to the website of the Ohio office appliance dealer LOTH are greeted with a pop-up analysis that asks if they are alive from home or are aback in the office.
For appointment appliance manufacturers and distributors, the approaching lies in the answer.
Companies that furnish offices accept been hammered by a communicable that has kept many U.S. workers home for nine straight months. Instead of chief whether to remodel, administration accept spent the year debating whether to accumulate the appointment at all.
As a result, appointment appliance sales accept plummeted.
More: Despite COVID-19, Columbus apartment bazaar accepting almanac year
This month, the nation’s better appointment appliance maker, Steelcase, appear that sales dropped 31% in the accomplished nine months and 35% in the accomplished three months, compared with the aforementioned aeon aftermost year. Herman Miller, the nation’s second-largest appointment appliance maker, saw sales drop 7% in the accomplished six months and orders slip 12%.
Central Ohio distributors and dealers are navigating the stagnant amnion in a array of ways. They are casting added services, tailoring their articles to fit a communicable world, and targeting a new customer: the stay-at-home worker weary of sitting on a dining armchair at the kitchen table.
“We’re seeing altered opportunities appear out of this,” said Lorene Haimerl, controlling carnality admiral of sales and architecture in LOTH’s Columbus division.
Other accouterment in accoutrement industry: New accessories adamantine to appear by during pandemic
One of the better opportunities are alone consumers, a bazaar that best above appointment appliance dealers and manufacturers never targeted.
“Build your absolute home office!” advertises the website of King Business Interiors of Columbus, illustrating how companies are pivoting to the work-from-home crowd.
Some employers, including above ones such as Google, alike gave workers an allowance to accouter home offices. Work-from-home consumers are attractive mainly for two items, say appliance dealers: adequate chairs and desks — especially actor desks.
“We’ve awash to alone barter afore this, but it’s absolutely added now,” said Ryan Hetrick, the business administrator of Capital Choice Appointment Appliance on Alum Creek Drive.
One abnormally hot account has been Herman Miller’s Aeron chair, Hetrick said.
“The better claiming is aggravating to antecedent Aeron chairs,” he said. “Those accept been the ones the boilerplate barter accept been allurement for.”
But affairs one board and armchair at a time to alone consumers can’t activate to accomplish up for affairs dozens or hundreds to accumulated clients. Herman Miller, for example, saw all-embracing sales bead 7% in the best contempo analysis alike admitting alone online customer sales zoomed 219%.
Ohio’s better appointment appliance dealer, Continental Office, has put calm home-office bales for advisers of Continental’s clients, but contrarily has not targeted alone consumers, said CEO Ira Sharfin.
“We’re not set up to do full-on business-to-consumer, but we’ve been selling a agglomeration of Aeron chairs, which is the better appeal we get, and sit-to-stand tables.”
Instead, Continental has weathered the 2020 storm by absorption on its account division, which has backward active rearranging some offices, and added articles such as flooring, which has remained in appeal as barrio started afore the communicable are completed.
“We’re definitely down, but bluntly bottomward a lot beneath than we could accept been,” Sharfin said.
LOTH has managed in a agnate way. While accepted big-office orders may be down, the company’s all-embracing acquirement is hardly up this year, in allotment because of its bloom affliction and apprenticeship clients, Haimerl said.
The aggregation has additionally outfitted abate accessory offices, which some big administration are relying on instead of a central headquarters.
“The big companies in town, the Nationwides, the Chases, it’s absolutely adamantine for them to about-face their ship, to get anybody aback in the office, but for mid-market companies, it’s easier for them to amount out how to change their space,” Haimerl said.
“We’re additionally seeing some above companies and startups, they’re really working at hubs throughout the suburbs for collaboration,” she added.
Some absolute accumulated audience that appetite to accumulate workers in the appointment accept angry to new products. At Capital Choice Appointment Furniture, for example, plexiglass panels accept been in amazing appeal this year, said business administrator Hetrick.
“In April, we put in a aggregate adjustment for plexiglass, and over the aftermost eight months, we’ve able installing plexiglass barriers for those companies bringing people back into offices,” Hetrick said. “We install them amid desks and cubicles. It’s been a absolutely big portion of our business over the aftermost eight months, it’s absolutely helped abate the accident of appliance sales.”
Despite fears in the industry, appointment appliance dealers do not accept abounding ample administration will carelessness offices back it’s safe for workers to return. If anything, they anticipate the abiding appointment aridity will allegorize the accent of in-person acquaintance and collaboration.
“I’m not a big accepter that you can advance ability and allure aptitude by alive from home,” Sharfin said. “When bodies get scattered, they lose engagement.”
Central Ohio industry admiral are encouraged by a cord of new appointment barrio appear or underway in the Columbus area.
“The industry’s absolutely taken a hit, but I’m appealing encouraged,” Sharfin said. “There’s certainly a lot of pent-up demand, projects put on authority or delayed.”
Sharfin and others apprehend the industry to aces up in the additional bisected of 2021, as workers alpha abiding to offices and administration accept the aplomb to resume delayed projects.
“With the aboriginal stages of vaccine deployment beginning, some barter are reactivating idled activity opportunities so they will be accessible to acknowledgment to their offices abutting year,” said Steelcase CEO and Admiral Jim Keane. “We are continuing to advance in new articles advised to advice barter accomplish their offices safe, flexible, advantageous and inspiring.”
9 Sofa Design Office


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A conference of Chinese manufacturers of chip-making equipment was held in China last week, where many industry representatives were able to discuss the current state of affairs, taking into account US sanctions. One of the Chinese manufacturers said the US authorities have made it their mission to lag China in the field of lithography by at least five generations.
Such comments as explained South China tomorrow post, came from the mouth of the CEO and Chairman of AMEC, one of the Chinese manufacturers of lithography equipment. Gerald Yin Zhiyao said the following verbatim: “The export restrictions in October revealed the true intentions of the US, which wants to keep lithography in China at 28nm, at least five generations behind the world’s leading 14nm to 3nm range.”. According to him, the Chinese device manufacturers have no intention of putting up with it.
In 2019, the United States began imposing sanctions on certain Chinese companies, but it’s export control restrictions affecting the interests of Chinese contract chipmakers that are most destructive to local industry, AMEC chief believes . The executive order recently signed by the US President limiting investments in three sectors of the Chinese economy is the 16th restrictive step by the American side.
According to the AMEC chief, Chinese companies rely on domestic equipment for only 15% of chip manufacturing, with the remaining 85% of equipment coming from the US, Japan and the Netherlands. That’s why, after the sanctions were imposed in October, US authorities began convincing their allies in Japan and the Netherlands to synchronize their efforts. Already in 2021, AMEC itself was included in the list of Chinese companies suspected by the US of collaborating with the Chinese defense complex. Four months of intense negotiations eventually resulted in the charges being dropped.
In general, according to the AMEC boss, specialists with experience in foreign companies that returned to China after the sanctions were imposed would help Chinese industry to make progress in the field of import substitution. The West will not stem China’s semiconductor progress by blocking equipment shipments, this industry official believes.


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Jan 28, 2016 1:17 PM by News Staff
What all started three quarters of a century ago has since become one of the premiere livestock sales west of the Rockies featuring everything from bulls to stock dogs to cattle equipment bringing people from all over North America to Red Bluff.
The town of red bluff saw a swell in population as ranchers and farmers gather for the 75th annual bull and gelding sale Wednesday afternoon. The yearly event has grown to one of the largest of its kind in the western United States.
The size of the town of red bluff may be small, but the shadow it casts over the livestock industry is impressive. Adam Owens, bull sale manager, it really put Red Bluff on the map.
“Anywhere in the livestock industry, most people know of red bluff have been to red bluff and the bull sale,” he said.
The sale kicked off Wednesday with the bulls being judged and goes through the weekend when those bulls will be sold on Sunday. The sale began in 1941 when local farmer’s band ranchers felt for the need for a common marketplace.
“When it was originally founded the buyers were hungry for a marketplace and the sellers were hungry for a market place, so it was an easy match.”
Over the years, the bull sale has grown into one of the largest in the country, bringing people like Phil Kudlac and his family from Oregon to sell his bulls.
Kudlac, owner of Kudlac Hedford, said the sale has a storied reputation with the buyers and sellers.
“It started in 1980, someplace in the early 80's,” he said, “it's a good sale, it treats us well and the bull sale committee treats us well.”
Besides the bull sale, the event has grown to include a gelding, stock dog sale and a trade show, which brought vendors from as far away as Alberta, Canada to sell their goods.
Maggie Bevan brought her wares from Bunkhouse Braiding, based in Canada, to the show.
“It's a good venue, people really appreciate the work down here,” she said. “It's well worth the drive.”
With all these out of town visitors, the town of Red Bluff has shared in the prosperity of the event.
“It fills up the hotels for the week, gets pretty hard to find a hotel. It’s great for the restaurants and gas stations. It gets a lot of people in the town and puts red bluff on the map in agriculture so throughout the year maybe this is a place they want to stop because they are familiar with it.”
Organizers expect close to 300 bulls and 100 geldings will be sold this weekend which can end in more than two million dollars in sales.
The sale culminates Saturday night with the Red Bluff Buckin' Best Bull Riding Invitational.
1 day ago


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2012 Mercedes SLK AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery
- Noah Joseph
- Mar 10, 2009
Since its launch in 1997, the Mercedes-Benz SLK has always been the baby-something. The first generation looked like a smaller SL and the second (current) generation apes the SLR. But if these latest spy shots are any indication, the upcoming third generation model could take the form of a baby SLS.
- Ferrari celebrates 70th anniversary in Monterey
- Nissan Midnight Edition Titan and Frontier
- Find and compare 2017 models


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India’s largest private sector bank ICICI Bank has become the first in the country to launch a voice recognition-based service, allowing more than 33 million customers to make banking transactions through the bank’s call centre by authenticating themselves using their voice. “Our decision to invest in this new technology was primarily driven by the objective of enhancing the everyday banking experience of our customers,” said CEO Chanda Kochhar.
- BIS reports on the potential of central bank-issued cryptocurrencies
- Huawei Pay to launch in the US?
- US iPhone users ‘unlikely’ to use Face ID for payments
- Apple Pay Cash to go live in iOS update ‘this fall’
- HSBC uses face recognition to authenticate payments in China


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The slowing rate of decline of car sales is a ray of hope for the Indian auto industry. However, automakers are still suffering from a lack of demand, which is still a far cry from pre-COVID-19 levels. As the pandemic has dealt the sharpest blow to high-ticket items, the luxury car segment is possibly the worst hit and likely to be the last to recover. When saving cash and being financially prudent is the order of the day, buying a luxury car is not the highest priority for consumers. As a result, the luxury segment, which was a tiny niche to begin with, is shrinking further, with demand shifting downward to the more affordable spectrum of the market.
- Indian luxury car market has shrunk significantly due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Year-on-year sales has dropped by 59 percent in July 2020
- Mercedes-Benz India market share has increased despite a 47 percent decrease in sales
Earlier this month, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) had, for the first time, released manufacturer-wise retail/new vehicle registration details for July 2020. This data reveals that the combined share of luxury car players in the total passenger vehicle market has shrunk to 0.50 percent in the month, compared to 1.11 percent in July 2019. July 2020 sales numbers of the 10 luxury carmakers that retail cars in India reveals that year-on-year demand has dropped by 59 percent to 924 units (July 2019: 2,242 units).
Mercedes makes the best of a bad situation
Despite current market trends, luxury car market leader, Mercedes-Benz India, is faring far better than its key rivals. Continuing from where it left off in the January-March 2020 period (2,386 units), with a marginal lead over BMW India’s 2,365 units, the German luxury carmaker has registered strong performance in July.
FADA data has it that Mercedes-Benz India retailed a total of 418 vehicles, down 47 percent year-on-year (July 2019: 786). This number includes sales of 18 CBU models – primarily its flagship GLS SUV. However, in terms of market share, the market leader has increased its share to 45 percent from 35 percent, a year ago.
According to Santosh Iyer, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India, “Both the GLS and GLE are doing extremely well. These new products are what is driving growth. The E-class, on the other hand, is our backbone and bread and butter. It continues to be strong in these times as well.”
“The GLS, GLE, and E-class together make for a very strong product line for any market situation,” added Iyer.
Downward shift in demand
While the pandemic has enhanced the need for personal mobility, it has also brought about a downward telescoping of demand. According to Iyer, “There is definitely a shifting of demand downward; people are in fact going in for used cars. Used cars have actually seen significant growth and a lot of used car stocks at our dealers have come down significantly in recent months. So that’s something strong and it’s quite positive right now.”
“Unfortunately for us, if we had the A-class, CLA or GLA at this point, it would have been the best time. We could have easily done 100-150 additional new car sales due to the shift in demand,” remarked Iyer.
Speaking about the launch timelines for Mercedes’ entry-level models, he said, “It’s only getting more delayed. In fact, the A-class Limousine is delayed and now will only be introduced by end-October or November. It’s unfortunate that we will have to run without two volume-centric models for the full year.”
What is admirable is that Mercedes-Benz India has been able to increase its lead in this gruelling business environment without its entry-level models, which are crucial in a market that is seeing consumers scale down to more affordable options. In contrast, arch-rival BMW India retailed 258 cars (July 2019: 685/-62%) and saw its market share reduce to 28 percent in July 2020 from 30.5 percent, a year ago.
Audi India, whose vehicle registrations are clubbed with the rest of Volkswagen Group India, is estimated to have retailed approximately 70 cars in July 2020, most of which happen to be the Audi A6 – the mainstream luxury model in the carmaker’s line-up at the moment. New Audis, like the Q2, won’t arrive until the festive season.
Jaguar Land Rover, which sold just 76 cars in July 2020, also registered a sharp year-on-year sales decline of 67 percent (July 2019: 229). The British automaker is banking on the new Land Rover Defender to drive up sales after the deliveries of this iconic 4x4 begin next month; Defender prices were revealed back in February. JLR’s poor sales performance has also meant that the carmaker has ceded the No. 3 position to Volvo Cars India, which has also recorded a sharp YoY sales decline of 35 percent.
|Luxury car sales in India - July 2020|
|Company||July '20 sales||July '19 sales||YoY change in sales||July '20 market share||July '19 market share|
|Mercedes-Benz India||418 units||786 units||-46.8%||45.24%||35.06%|
|BMW India||258 units||685 units||-62.3%||27.92%||30.55%|
|Volvo Cars India||88 units||135 units||-34.8%||9.52%||6.02%|
|Jaguar Land Rover India||76 units||229 units||-66.8%||8.23%||10.21%|
|Audi India*||70 units||400 units||-81.7%||7.58%||17.04%|
|Porsche India||7 units||14 units||-50.0%||0.76%||0.62%|
|Lamborghini India||4 units||6 units||-33.3%||0.43%||0.27%|
|Bentley Motors India||1 unit||0 units||100.0%||0.11%||0.00%|
|Ferrari India||1 unit||3 units||-66.7%||0.11%||0.13%|
|Rolls-Royce India||1 unit||2 units||-50.0%||0.11%||0.13|
|Total||924 units||2,242 units||-58.8%||100.00%||100.00%|
Going forward, most luxury carmakers in India, like the rest of the passenger vehicle industry, will be banking on the upcoming festive season to add some zing to sales. Some of them, like Mercedes-Benz India, BMW India and Jaguar Land Rover India, are using the market downturn to go about expanding their dealer and service network across the country. What’s common to most luxury carmakers is that their focus on digitisation and contactless sales has sharpened in the past five months or so, each offering unique services to keep the luxury car buyer pampered in a time of social distancing.
Mercedes-Benz A-class Hatchback
₹ 94.28 lakh
Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine
₹ 50.97 - 67.14 lakh
₹ 47.39 - 72.13 lakh
₹ 77.54 lakh - 2.04 crore
₹ 85.60 lakh
₹ 1.77 - 2.81 crore
₹ 2.03 - 2.83 crore
₹ 56.42 - 76.87 lakh
₹ 73.84 - 82.52 lakh
₹ 61.08 - 88.06 lakh
₹ 91.31 lakh - 1.11 crore
₹ 1.39 - 3.37 crore
₹ 2.01 - 3.92 crore
₹ 2.71 crore


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Economy grew 2.2 percent during the first quarter
The U.S. economy grew at a slower pace during the first quarter of this year as gross domestic product (GDP) increased 2.2 percent, according to The Washington Post
The first-quarter figure is down compared with the fourth quarter of 2011, when GDP increased 3 percent. However, growth is expected to recover to about 3 percent for 2012 as stronger job growth leads to more consumer spending.
Consumer spending increased 2.9 percent during the first quarter, with much of the growth stemming from robust growth in auto sales.
Government purchases fell at a 3 percent annual rate during the first quarter as there was a sharp drop in defense spending. Business investment dropped to an annual rate of 2.1 percent. Investment in equipment and software rose at a 1.7 percent annual rate, which is the slowest pace since mid-2009.
Although the 2.2 percent increase in the economy during the first quarter marks the 11th quarter GDP has expanded since the deep recession ended in June 2009, gains have been far below the usual gains coming out of a deep recession.
However, many economists predict stronger growth during the second half of the year because they believe hiring will continue to improve. A growth rate of 3 percent in 2012 would be almost double the 1.7 percent annual rate in 2011.
Date : 4/30/2012


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Crypto currency has become widely famous and many people started using it due to over craziness towards digital currencies. To be more specific, initially only bitcoin has huge fame once it exposed its benefits to the majority of people invested in bitcoin. Thus crypto currencies are considered to be modern banking; to the great extent traders used crypto currencies for trading. Thus in the present you are able to have a huge count of


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December 8, 2016
By Leo Hohmann
A note from Pastor Kevin Lea follows this article.
This Amazon Go store is now open in Seattle. The concept has been hailed as a revolutionary upgrade in the shopping experience that could be adapted to all manner of brick and mortar stores. Others warn of looming privacy
For some, it’s a dream come true: The ability to walk into a grocery store, grab anything you want off the shelves, and simply walk out.
There’s no need to wait in line at a busy cash register. Your bank account will be automatically debited when you leave the store. It’s magical.
Amazon says it started working on this new shopping experience four years ago, using the same technology applied to driverless cars. Now it’s launching the new app that makes it a reality.
So the day is coming when people will be able to pull up to cashier-less stores in their driverless car, leaving their cashless wallet at home. All they will need is their smartphone and Amazon’s new app, called Amazon Go. The first Amazon Go pilot store is already open to the company’s employees in Seattle and it will open to the public in January.
Neil Stern, an analyst with retail consultancy McMillan Doolittle, heralds the new technology as a “game changer for the retail industry” which is searching for ways to cut labor costs while trying to compete with online merchants.
It could “drastically change not just food retailing, but every segment of retail,” Stern wrote in a blog. “One can envision a future of Amazon brick-and-mortar outposts: book stores, beauty stores, drive-thru grocery stores and convenience locations all using this technology.”
Watch Amazon Go promo video touting the new shopping experience as the epitome of ease and convenience:
If anyone doubts the popularity of the idea, they should note that the above video was released by Amazon Dec. 5 and within three days it logged 6 million views on YouTube. It’s spreading like wildfire. But some are saying “not so fast.” This new convenience offered to shoppers and the labor savings of retailers will come at a steep cost to personal privacy.
They fear the emergence of a society that is not only cashless but controlled by machines and requiring very little human interaction. The data collected will inevitably be shared across platforms. In short, we could be looking at the emergence of a long-awaited technocratic utopia with frightening unforeseen side effects. Futurists like George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and H.G. Wells saw it coming decades ago but the technology now exists to usher it in, says Patrick Wood, an economist and privacy advocate who also follows the global technocracy movement.
“In the longer term if the experiment works out and is adopted widely it could radically transform the nature of work in the retail industry, much like the driverless car and truck technology threaten to upend transportation,” observes Wood, who edits the blog Technocracy News and Trends.
Not only does Amazon Go remove the need for cash – that’s nothing new – but it removes the need for a large segment of the work force. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cashiers represent the second-largest occupation with 3.5 million employed in the U.S.
While more and more people, especially among younger generations, are going online to shop for basic necessities like food and clothing, Amazon’s new experiment acknowledges that some people may never be comfortable with that idea.
This is how Amazon Go works: You download the app on your smartphone, scan your phone when you enter the store, take whatever products you want off the shelf and the app immediately places them in your online “to go” cart. If you put a product back on the shelf, the app removes it from your virtual cart. When you leave the store those products in your cart are charged automatically to your debit or credit card. No cash or credit card is needed. No smiling cashiers or bag boys. No waiting in line behind a young mother with crying babies.
It sounds great but what’s the catch?
While super convenient, Wood and others are cautioning to let the buyer beware. What you gain in convenience, you will lose in privacy. “Amazon is not going to keep this just to themselves, they’ll be selling this technology to other companies, to retail stores all across the country, probably across the world,” Wood said.
The store will have the ability to not only monitor what products you take off the shelf, but the day of the week and the exact time of day you took each one off the shelf and how long you held it in your hands. Did you read the ingredient list before deciding to buy it? The possibilities are endless.
“What’s next? Are they going to monitor and record your facial expressions as you looked at it?” Wood asks. “And what they do with the data is the scariest part. It’s what you leave them with and what they do with it, and it will be tagged to you as a person forever.
“The data Amazon Go collects on you is going to be used by them as well as other companies to market products to you.”
Here’s one possible scenario: A consumer goes to Amazon Go in the morning, looks at a few things but doesn’t buy anything. Then in the afternoon this same shopper goes to Macy’s and all of a sudden
To read this article in its entirety, go to: http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/amazons-pandoras-box-an-attack-on-personal-privacy/


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HAMPTON — Local PTAs are working to help students who might be embarrassed to attend school because they can't afford new clothes and have to constantly wear the same outfits.
"Some of our needy students skip school because they only have one or two outfits to wear a week and don't want others to see them wear the same thing over and over," Monica Smith, president of the Hampton Council of PTAs, said in an e-mail.
That reality is the impetus for a Clothing Closet in the works via a partnership between the council and the school system.
Volunteers have already collected more than 30 large bags of clothes during a clothing drive in early November but are still seeking more donations of both clothes and materials to set up a retail-style shop, said Rebecca Mahan, the council's vice president.
Still needed are shelving, racks, mirrors and other equipment to get the shop going. It will open in a vacant portable classroom made available by the district, Mahan said.
Families will be able to shop there strictly by referral, she said. That means only those directed to the clothing closet by Social Services, the guidance department, or a parent involvement facilitator at the school will be allowed to choose items from it.
Shopping will initially be by appointment only, Mahan said. Clothes will be organized by gender and size to make it easier for families to choose items.
She stressed that the clothing closet is not an open thrift shop, but for families who have fallen on hard times and whose children don't have enough clothes to wear to school.
"We want to make sure families who need it are getting it," Mahan said. "The whole point is to give it to people who really need it and appreciate it."
The clothing closet is slated to open in early 2011, and PTAs may host another clothing drive in mid-winter, Mahan said.
Want to help?
To donate clothing or equipment, e-mail RMahanPTA@aol.com or call 727-2104.


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July 31 is System Administrator Appreciation Day, and it is a time to show gratitude for system administrators and other IT workers.
Fossil Rim Director of Information Technology Scott Hughes and his staff have understandably had to do some adjusting and adapting this year with the global pandemic looming large.
“COVID-19 changed the way people have to do business,” Hughes said. “Last September, I went to the AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) Conference in New Orleans. One of the things I was looking for was a replacement for our point-of-sale system.”
Having that thought in 2019 really made life easier on his department this past spring.
“It took us until the end of March to get everything worked out, but we went with an operating system called ‘RocketRez,’” he said. “Knowing that RocketRez would allow us to move to online ticketing, and more specifically timed ticketing, it is crucial for now when COVID-19 remains a threat because we are the perfect social-distancing destination. You can buy your ticket online, stay in your car, pull up to get your ticket scanned, and then drive through the park while being away from everybody else. People no longer have to go inside and be closer to other people just to buy a ticket.
“Had we not planned in advance to change our point-of-sale system and instead waited until March 20 when we closed to the public before trying to find an alternative, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find the right system for our needs. I say that because we had to get it implemented less than two months later for the May 11 reopening.”
For Fossil Rim, timed ticketing has been helpful as we attempt to spread guests out over the course of a day. We know to expect most guests to arrive in the early portion of each of the four arrival windows each day, as opposed to it being totally random when guests will arrive.
“Now, we avoid the majority of the guests on a given day showing up at the same time,” Hughes said. “We can sell tickets up to three weeks in advance so people can book and plan their trip here. Technology has changed the way the Front Gate area and our admissions process functions. We would never have been able to handle the amount of guest vehicles we get now without online, timed ticketing.”
The IT staff currently consists of Hughes, Curt Decker, and Dawn Green.
“I probably need to add a (technician) in the department, because there are a lot of important aspects we could use help with,” Hughes said. “Two years ago, my staff had three more people than it does now, so I anticipate hiring someone.”
Hughes explained why the small staff is currently able to navigate turbulent times.
“A key reason we are able to run with such a small department right now is because we have a really good infrastructure,” he said. “We network 2,400 acres via 18 towers, when you include the 600 acres and five towers at (adjacent) High Hope Ranch. All of that is running well, and it is because of the members of this department – past and present – who have worked hard and done quality work.”
Looking ahead, Hughes discussed some exciting projects that will help Fossil Rim continue to improve what it can offer customers.
“We are going to create an online store for the Nature Store using RocketRez,” he said. “We are going to open online bookings for lodging. We will eventually begin selling gift cards online.
“We may even set up online orders for Overlook Café customers so they can order while driving through the park and the food will be ready by the time they get to the café. Even something simple like sending follow-up emails to recent guests with specific content about educational opportunities or other topics they may be interested in is a step forward in what we can offer people who appreciate Fossil Rim.”
-Tye Chandler, Marketing Associate


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AN enterprising Birmingham mum is hoping to beat the credit crunch with her innovative product for breast-feeding women.
Like many new mums, Keira O’Mara often felt awkward breast-feeding her son in public. “I remember trying to feed him on a flight to Majorca, right next to a bunch of drunken stags. It was awful,” said the 31-year-old, of Kings Norton.
But it was one bad experience in a coffee shop, where an elderly couple started tutting and shaking their heads as Keira fed Sam, now aged 21 months, that gave her the idea for the Mamascarf.
“I felt so terrible that I went home that afternoon and started cutting up sheets,” she said. As the name suggests, the Mamascarf is a shawl which allows women to breast-feed stylishly and discreetly without the need for a cushion.
Practising on teddy bears, Keira and husband Dan experimented until they came up with the winning design. Keira then enlisted the help of her seamstress aunt to create a prototype which was rigorously tested on friends with babies.
With a background in sales and marketing, promotions executive Keira used her contacts and found a manufacturer willing to test the market. The Mamascarf launched in December and is proving popular among nervous new mums.
The first 100 have been snapped up and Keira is now selling through 15 independent sites as well as her own website, www.mamascarf.co.uk. “I’m just waiting for my second order of 250,” she said.
The entrepreneur is waiting to hear whether she has been accepted onto the next series of Dragons Den.
“Because I’m also working full-time, it’s very hard work but because I’m investing so much time in it, it’s like my second baby. I love it!” she said.


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IFA V. SEATTLE
Court: U.S. Supreme Court
Lower Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Whether a state or local wage ordinance law that discriminates against certain in-state businesses solely on their ties to interstate commerce discriminates against interstate commerce.
The RLC joined a brief with other business associations in support of the International Franchise Association's petition for certiorari seeking the U.S. Supreme Court's review of the 9th Circuit's decision voiding the association's challenge to the application of Seattle's minimum wage law to franchisees. The association charged that the Seattle law discriminates against franchisees in contravention of the dormant Commerce Clause because the only difference between franchisees and other small businesses to which the law applies is the franchisees' association with out of state franchisors. If the Court takes the case, it could be a bellwether for laws targeting "formula retail establishments."
The Court denied the petition for certiorari.
- Petition for Certiorari filed January 2016
- Petition denied May 2016


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DoCoMo's Q3 Net Profit Surges
DoCoMo said Friday its group net profit for the fiscal third quarter jumped 48% from a year earlier thanks to earlier-than-expected amortization in its second-generation mobile phone business. Net profit for the three months ended December rose to 135 billion yen ($1.5 billion) from 91 billion yen. Operating profit for the period rose 28% to 217.4 billion yen from 169.8 billion yen according to WSJ.
DoCoMo Fiscal Results for the 3Q FY2009 press conf. [Win. Media video] http://bit.ly/btnCwM
Revenue, meanwhile, dropped 1.3% to 1.097 trillion yen from 1.111 trillion yen due to a continued slump in revenue from telephone calls and a falloff in sales of mobile phone handsets. A spokeswoman said the company spent a total of 60 billion yen to amortize “mova” facilities during the fiscal year ended March 2009, including 47 billion yen in quarter ended December 2008. NTT DoCoMo’s net profit for the quarter ended December 2009 thus benefited from those amortization costs being applied to the year-earlier comparison quarter.


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2018 will be a rather big and important year for General Motors, as the automaker will introduce either all-new or refreshed models across key segments. Here’s a comprehensive guide of ten new GM cars to look forward to in 2018.
1. All-New 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 & GMC Sierra 1500
The half-ton Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks are GM’s bread-and-butter vehicles in terms of sales volumes and profits. The current, K2 platform models were introduced for the 2014 model year and are starting to get long in the tooth among newer and more modern competition. Luckily, both models are getting a complete overhaul for the 2019 model year, which means new platforms, exteriors, cabins, and potentially powertrains.
The Silverado will be first to debut and launch, and it will be particularly interesting to watch, as Chevy is said to be expanding the Silverado lineup to a total of eight new models. Some new engines are highly likely, including a new turbo-charged gasoline unit to take on Ford’s mid-range EcoBoost motor as well as a new diesel mill. In addition, it is believed that this generation of the Silverado and Sierra will have both trucks significantly better differentiated compared to the previous generations.
2. 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
As announced at the end of 2017, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is officially re-introduced for the seventh-generation Corvette for the 2019 model year. Serving as the flagship of the C7 range, the new model will be available in both coupe and convertible form factors. It’s powered by the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 LT5 engine delivers a beastly SAE-certified 755 horsepower (563 kW) and 715 pound-feet of torque (969 Nm) and the model establishes a new benchmark in performance, and a top speed of over 210 mph. The engine can be mated to either a seven-speed manual or GM’s 8-speed automatic transmission.
The 2019 Corvette ZR1 goes on sale in the spring of 2018, during which point it will likely be the hottest and most expensive new GM car in history.
3. 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD/5500HD Medium Duty
After discontinuing the Kodiak and Top Kick roughly a decade ago, GM is finally coming back with an all-new Chevy Medium Duty truck. Currently being co-developed with Navistar, the new Chevy truck will officially be called Silverado 4500HD (for the Class 4 model) and 5500HD (for the Class 5 model). Chevy has been confirmed that the trucks will be powered by a Duramax turbo-diesel engine and Allison transmission, while being available in 4×2 or 4×4, two cab configurations as well as various GVWRs and wheelbases.
4. All-New Chevrolet Blazer
Yes, it’s true: Chevy is bringing back the Blazer name on a crossover utility vehicle. Though some believe that a body-on-frame SUV would do the Blazer name more justice, there’s no denying that crossovers are currently a hot ticket item, so another crossover with a Chevy bow tie would make sense.
The new Blazer will slot between the compact Chevy Equinox and full-size Chevy Traverse, thereby completing Chevy’s CUV lineup. The model will be based on the regular wheelbase variant of the GM C1 platform while offering bold exterior styling. Customers will likely be able to choose between two and three rows of seating. Think of it as Chevy’s version of the second-gen GMC Acadia.
Expect the 2019 Blazer to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show season and then go on sale either at the end of the year or in the beginning of 2019.
5. All-New Cadillac XT4
Years ago, GM totally fumbled product planning for Cadillac: as all other luxury car makers were starting to focus on crossovers, Cadillac was playing catch-up on sedans. In doing so, the automaker totally failed to properly forecast today’s CUV boom, which put it at a significant competitive disadvantage: when the crossover craze hit full stride, Cadillac only had one crossover – the SRX – which was not enough compared to the competition, which offered a much broader lineup of CUVs. For instance, Audi offered three, while Mercedes-Benz and BMW now offer six and seven crossovers, respectively. Fast forward to 2018: the SRX was replaced by the XT5, but fighting multiple competing models with one isn’t cutting it. Enter the Cadillac XT4.
Set to be Cadillac’s second crossover, the XT4 will be compact in size, allowing it to slot under the XT5 in terms of dimensions and price. The vehicle will ride on the GM E2 platform shared with the likes of the new Buick Regal and Chevrolet Malibu.
Expect the 2019 Cadillac XT4 to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (our bet is on Cadillac’s home turf of New York in April) and go on sale by the end of 2018.
6. Refreshed 2019 Cadillac CT6
The Cadillac CT6 is an extremely fine luxury automobile, but it’s not perfect – and there are areas in which it can be improved. That’s what the 2019 model year refresh is expected to bring three years after the introduction of the original, 2016 CT6. Specifically, we expect the 2019 Cadillac CT6 to re-structure the powertrain lineup and the associated trim level hierarchy. The base 2.0L Turbo LTG motor will likely be deleted while the new Cadillac Twin-Turbo V8 engine will likely be introduced, potentially in a CT6 V-Sport model. Exterior styling will be revised to be more in line with the Cadillac Escala concept.
Expect the 2019 CT6 to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (like with the XT4, our bet is on Cadillac’s home turf New York in April), and go on sale either at the end of the year or in the beginning of 2019.
7. Refreshed 2019 Chevrolet Camaro
Despite having a rather lackluster interior as well as being big and heavy, the previous-, fifth-generation Camaro became an astounding sales success. So it would only stand to reason that addressing those areas of criticism would have caused the current, sixth-generation model to grow sales even further, right? Apparently not.
Despite the sixth-gen Camaro, introduced for the 2016 model year, receiving a better cabin, an all-new platform and a substantially lower curb weight, resulting in a much more nimble driving experience compared to its predecessor, sales didn’t take off. In fact, they have fallen, mostly as a result of the new Camaro being notably more expensive than the model it replaces. And that’s exactly what the 2019 Camaro refresh will probably attempt to address, especially in the entry- and mid-level tiers. The update is also expected to deliver revised front and rear facias along with potential powertrain updates.
Expect the 2019 Camaro to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (it might show up at Detroit in a few days), and go on sale either at the end of the year or in the beginning of 2019.
8. Refreshed 2019 Chevrolet Colorado, 2019 GMC Canyon
The current Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon arguably re-ignited the midsize pickup truck battle in the United States. Thanks to their success, Toyota now is now selling a new Tacoma and new competitors are about to enter the fray, including Ford with its new Ranger and Jeep with the Wranger-based Scrambler. Meanwhile, GM’s offerings are beginning to show their age. Though the duo was initially introduced for the 2015 model year, the trucks are based on an architecture that debuted for the 2013 model year in international markets. Now, all-new Colorado and future Canyon aren’t due until 2022, leaving room for a refresh of the current models.
The midcycle enhancement for the Colorado and Canyon will likely deliver revised exterior styling, improvements to the cabin, along with some powertrain changes. We also wouldn’t be surprised to see an up-level trim level introduced for the Colorado to the tune of LTZ or High Country, as the current model tops our at LT and Z71 (as a trim level). In addition, perhaps a more extreme off-road package for the Canyon along the lines of the Colorado ZR2 is also in the works.
Expect the 2019 Colorado and Canyon to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (we’d wager at Los Angeles in November, which Chevy has been using to show off the Colorado), and go on sale either at the end of the year or in the beginning of 2019.
9. Refreshed 2019 Chevrolet Malibu
The current-, ninth-generation Chevy Malibu launched to generally positive critical acclaim when it launched for the 2016 model year. Even so, we believe that Malibu sales figures are a far cry from what GM originally expected. Though one would think that sales are down due to the crossover craze, some competing models seem to be doing extremely well. So to address any product-related matters, Chevrolet is working on a midcycle update that we expect will deliver changes to the exterior design, powertrain, trim levels and equipment groups, which – based on our experience – are the biggest areas of criticism.
Expect the 2019 Malibu to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (perhaps at Chicago in February), and go on sale by the end of the year.
10. Refreshed 2019 Chevrolet Volt
The current, second-generation Chevy Volt is due for a freshening that will probably bring enhancements to the car’s exterior styling. We also wouldn’t be surprised to see a few changes to plug-in hybrid’s cabin. It’s currently unclear whether the Volt refresh will see any powertrain updates, given that the focus of GM as a company no longer seems to be on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), but rather on pure battery electrics such as the Bolt EV – which has been handily outselling the Volt.
Expect the 2019 Volt to be introduced some time during the 2018 auto show circuit (maybe at Los Angeles in November), and go on sale either at the end of the year or in the beginning of 2019.
(Bonus) 11. Refreshed 2019 Buick Envision
The compact Buick Envision premium crossover is due for a refresh for the 2019 model year. The updated model has already been revealed for China, and it features revised front and rear facias, a new exterior color and an interior color combination, HID headlamps on lower trims along with Bi-LED headlamps on Premium trims, LED taillamps, new technologies such as Tire Fill Alert, an ionizing air cleaner and wireless phone charging, new wheel designs and the new GM 9-speed transmission.
What Didn’t Make The Cut
The following models didn’t make it into our new GM cars list for 2018:
- Refreshed 2019 Chevrolet Cruze, which might potentially introduce a new efficient Cruze Eco model
- The all-new Cadillac CT5 as a replacement for the CTS, which we believe will be unveiled in 2019
- A three-row Cadillac crossover, potentially named Cadillac XT6, which we believe will be unveiled in 2019
- The long-rumored mid-engined Corvette, which will likely be revealed in 2019


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Burgers aren’t the first thing you think of for an elevated dining experience, but a new quick-service restaurant chain is hoping to change your mind.
Elevation Burger opened its first West Coast restaurant three months ago in the Bressi Ranch Village Center. Franchise owner Ron Weinberg said he plans to open four more in San Diego County within the next five years.
The chain’s logo is a snowy Rocky Mountains-style landscape, but the Virginia-based company has no connection to Colorado. Weinberg said the mountains represents the elevation of the chain’s cuisine.


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Flying a drone in the U.S. is tricky. Thanks to regulations passed two years ago there are a number of new rules that all drone pilots have to abide by. These include flying below a certain altitude, flying away from airports and military bases, and having a line of sight to the drone at all times. While these regulations do make sense for hobbyists, they make it hard for companies like Amazon to get their drone delivery businesses off the ground.
While those regulations aren't going away anytime soon, the government is beginning the process to make it easier for companies to circumvent them. Just last week, President Trump signed a memo to the Department of Transportation, directing them to begin the process of developing rules to allow commercial drone operators to fly more freely in the U.S.
So what does that mean for drone pilots? Not much right now, but it might mean more commercial opportunities in the near future. These new rules the DoT is developing, collectively called the Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program, could loosen the regulations that are already in place, making it easier for businesses and individuals to fly drones.
But first, the DoT has to decide what these new rules are going to be. To do this, they're going to take proposals from local, state, and tribal leaders over the next few months. Then, the DoT will choose the five most promising proposals and run small experiments over the next three years, to see which is the best. Then, whichever proposal does the best will be implemented nationally.
When these new rules are finally implemented, they could trigger a "drone boom," where drone-related businesses and services skyrocket. Not only will companies like Amazon benefit, but a wide range of industries like agriculture, surveying, insurance, and disaster relief could see major innovation starting three years from now.


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iPhone 6 release and design update: Another concept design video has sparked rumors about the highly anticipated 2014 Apple iPhone launch. According to an article posted March 30, 2014 at the Gotta Be Mobile website, the video gives consumers an idea of what the new smartphone may look like, and poses the idea, yet again, of a larger iPhone. Earlier rumors suggested Apple may be planning a Phablet-sized iPhone 6, but as is common with Apple releases, nothing has been confirmed about the device.
The article further speculates on the iPhone 6 release date, saying "iPhone 6 rumors suggest that the device’s release won’t come until the summer or the fall." Of course release date rumors move back and forth from Summer to Fall each year, but it does seem to intensify spec rumors, and lead to additional concept designs, which are rarely ever on point, but sometimes we get to see something close to what Apple has in the works.
This latest concept design came from SET Solutions, and was apparently modeled after all the most popular iPhone 6 spec rumors mentioned to date. The slim design measures at 6mm, thinner than the current iPhone 5s model, which measures at 7.6mm. The design is also wider and taller than the 5s, and has an edge to edge display. This iPhone 6 concept design also features a device with "Touch ID, the fingerprint reader that debuted on board the iPhone 5s, and an A8 quad-core 64-bit processor, another feature that has been rumored to be on board the real iPhone 6."
What design changes and spec upgrades are you hoping to see on the next Apple iPhone?


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At last, the tech giant Google is going to bring some competition to Amazon’s line of Echo items with the introduction of the Google Home and Home Mini in India this month.
As per a report by GizmoChina, Google Home and Home Mini will be introduced in India by April 2018. This will be the second significant brand to release its smart speakers in the Indian market since the Amazon Echo line of items — Echo Plus, Echo Dot, and Echo introduced in India in October 2017.
Google Assistant recently reported support for 30 more languages, including Hindi, before the current year’s over. “The Assistant is as of now accessible in eight languages, and before the year’s over it will be accessible in excess of 30 languages, achieving 95 percent of all eligible Android phones around the world,” Nick Fox, vice president of Product, Google wrote in a blog. A Hindi language support in Assistant can support the possibilities of the Home and Home Mini deals in India.
Amazon’s Alexa can definitely understand Indian pronunciations great, but it doesn’t understand or communicate in Hindi. So a support for Hindi will be the definite benefit for Google when it introduces Home or Home Mini.
Local clients of imported Google Home gadgets are stating that the procedure of localization is now in progress and a ton of it needs to do with language recognition. The Media Accounts menu now even supports applications, for example, Saavn and Gaana yet voice association with these applications is still now accessible.
Artificial Intelligence based voice assistants are not simply restricted to smartphones as tech giants have begun making smart speakers and other similar products. And while voice might be the following huge thing in computing, the displays aren’t leaving at any point in the near future. Amazon has its scope of Alexa-controlled speakers and an Echo Show with a touchscreen display. Google has its Google Home smart speakers, and the search giant is also reportedly working on a smart speaker with a screen.
The pricing for the Indian market is yet not decided. The Google Home Mini offers for Indian Rs 3,200 and the Google Home offers for Indian Rs 8,400 in the US. The main distinction between the Home and Home Mini is to do with the speaker. The brilliant highlights are the same on both the devices.The Amazon Echo gadgets are estimated subsequently: Echo Dot for Rs 4,499; the Echo for Rs 9,999 and the Echo Plus for Rs 14,999.
The latest highlights on the new Home Devices incorporate the capacity to perceive individuals by their voices and customize the experience for that client. Clients would now be able to utilize Google Home gadgets to start without hands calling from their numbers. Google’s first-party smart speakers can make calls, whereas third-party speakers can’t.
Google’s four declared smart display partners are all well-established electronics companies, not any small startups.The aim is likely just to give clients a lot of choices if Google’s smart display even works out as expected by any of the imagination.
Google Home has extended functionality that now enables you to preset a sequence of functions that get activated by a single command. These are called routines, and saying Goodnight can trigger a sequence of events. For instance, after you say “Hello”, Google Home will pull out information from your schedule, set the associated smart home gadgets to the fitting settings, read out the climate information, and even play a “get up” playlist.
The Google Home gadgets connect with more than 1,000 brilliant home gadgets. Various Google Home gadgets in different rooms can cooperate, for instance playing a similar music all through the house. A broadcast feature triggers the schedules in all the Google Home speakers in the home.


text: The Steam bug that allowed users to see other users' account details may not have been as harmful as it first appeared. Valve said in a statement (reported on Mashable) that while cached data showed usernames, "sensitive details such as credit card numbers are automatically censored on user account pages, which mitigates the potential harm of someone having seen your personal data." From Mashable's report: "Steam is back up and running without any known issues," Valve told Game Informer in a statement. "As a result of a configuration change earlier today, a caching issue allowed some users to randomly see pages generated for other users for a period of less than an hour. This issue has since been resolved. We believe no unauthorized actions were allowed on accounts beyond the viewing of cached page information and no additional action is required by users."


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With PlayStation 2 backward compatibility a thing of the past for PlayStation 3 owners, dreams of downloadable last-gen games may seem dashed. Or maybe not. Sony says it's "interested" in offering downloadable PS2 software.
How interested? "Absolutely interested" according to John Koller, director of hardware marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America. He tells GamePro that the company is "still sorting through" the possibility of offering PlayStation 2 games via the PlayStation Store, as it currently does for PSone releases.
Obviously, there are some "technical hurdles" involved, like the ability to emulate PS2 software without the legacy hardware included in early PS3 models. "Nothing's imminent on that," Koller says "but it's something we are interested in as well."
As for matching the Xbox 360's NXE feature set, specifically streaming Netflix movies, Koller and company sound less interested.
"We've concentrated most of our efforts on our download service, both rentals and downloads of movies and TV shows," he says. "Our efforts will continue to be there, because our customers want to own the content."
Shame then, because it certainly sounded like Netflix was interested in bringing its content to the PlayStation 3 at one point.
"There are certainly some positives for the Xbox 360," he explains. "But there's also some confusion. It goes further into the argument of "owning the content."
I don't know. I think many of us have given up on the notion of "owning" anything these days when it comes to digital distribution. I certainly don't feel like I need to own that copy of Hot Tamale I recently streamed.


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In Tampa, wrongful death lawsuits can be based on a variety of factual situations. Many wrongful death cases are brought in the form of a products liability claim, alleging the dangerously defective design or manufacture of a product or the failure to warn of non-obvious dangers with using the product.
Many Tampa-area readers are familiar with the products liability wrongful death lawsuits brought against Toyota over the last several years, after many Toyota drivers and passengers suffered personal injury or death in Toyota vehicles with faulty acceleration systems. We previously wrote about a settlement of economic loss claims made by uninjured Toyota owners whose only injury was the lost value of their vehicles when Toyota was forced to recall those with the defective accelerator systems. However, those settlements did not include a resolution of personal injury and wrongful death claims that had been made against Toyota.
According to WFLA Tampa, wrongful death cases filed over the 2010 deaths of two people in Utah have now been settled by Toyota. These two wrongful deaths are just the tip of the iceberg, as Toyota must still address numerous remaining wrongful death and personal injury claims that resulted from what plaintiffs called defectively-designed acceleration systems. Toyota, on its part, has always maintained that the acceleration issues that caused so many catastrophic motor vehicle accidents (and even one known Florida pedestrian death) were the mere result of sticking accelerators, misplaced floor mats, and errors made by drivers. The company continues to deny that these auto accidents resulted from design defects.
There is no doubt that Toyota’s public reputation took a strong hit as the result of the acceleration problems, which spanned different Toyota models manufactured in different years. Jury verdicts for compensatory damages and possible punitive damages for the many hurt in these horrible car wrecks could be significant, even to a manufacturing giant. Another reason for Toyota to offer voluntary compensation for wrongful death claims is to prevent a jury verdict against Toyota that might further damage its reputation. In addition, each settlement can contain what is called a “confidentiality agreement,” preventing the plaintiffs from further public discussion of the case.
So why not settle all of the cases at once? Toyota’s piecemeal approach to settling these wrongful death claims reflects a deeper legal strategy. Toyota seems to be testing the possibility of settling those cases it is most likely to lose and reserving for trial those that it is most likely to win. A jury verdict in Toyota’s favor on the issue of acceleration would lend additional strength to its public image and help restore consumer confidence in its product.


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The SE and FE Asian caprolactum markers on the lower end was down US$40 a ton in the second week of April. In China, spot liquid good offers fell US$57 a ton on the week while solid goods were up US$7 a ton on the week. European goods also plunged US$40 a ton on the week.
Caprolactum prices in Asia were on downtrend that week despite strong upstream market. In China, CPL offers slipped amid and diminishing demand which resulted in to lack of confidence during the week. Plant run rates were at 77%, fell from last week.
Tianchen Yaolong is planning to shut its 280,000 tons per year CPL plant to debottleneck and expand the capacity to 350,000 tons per year in May, which may last for 25 days. Juhua restarted its 100,000 tons per year CPL plant on 14 April which was shut from last week.
Overall, CPL market is likely to weaken in coming weeks while demand needs to recover.
Courtesy: Weekly PriceWatch Report
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


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Home to an estimated 144 million people, Russia is the world’s ninth biggest country in terms of population. With a recently booming economy, it should be of major importance to the global music business.Yet according to IFPI data, Russia contributed – in total – just US $72.8m to the recorded music industry last year, across digital, physical and public performance (the UK with less than half that population generated $1.33 billion). Whats worse - the market has declined - it was worth $191 million in 2007. Why - well blame it on piracy, corruption, past government inaction and consumers used to 'free' music. In the era of CDs in the 1990s and 2000s physical piracy was "up to 95% of the market.” And now with digital its worse. Now a recent flurry of government activity has given some hope to the beleaguered music industry and there have been some recent successes in the courts. In 2011 it seemed that enforcement of already existing infringement laws (including criminal sanctions) would be stepped up, not least to enhance Russia's position at World Trade Organization negotiations. In 2012 Russia's appellate court held that the massive social networking Vkontakte was liable for copyright infringement, upholding the earlier ruling by the commercial (“Arbitrazh”) Court of Saint Petersburg: in November 2014 Russia’s State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, approved a package of amendments to anti-piracy law, covering video, books, music and software, but not photos and among the amendments there was an initiative under which a Web site owner must delete within 24 hours any illegal content, rather than limit access to it, upon an electronic request from a rights’ owner. Now the Russian High Court has been given the power to order ISPs and website hosting companies to permanently block websites that repeatedly infringe copyright. Alongside the launch of services such as iTunes & Google Play and local music services such as Yandex, Torrent sites have been sent a final notification from the Russian Government telling them that “the systematic violation of intellectual property rights will result in sites providing access to stolen content being blocked forever” and giving a 1st May deadline.
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters has taken a swipe at Silicon Valley in an interview in the Times (02.05.15) saying that he 'grateful' to have gown up in an age when an artist's hard work and talent were rewarded financially and before the music business suffered a 'takeover by Silicon Valley' saying "when this gallery of rogues and thieves had not yet interjected themselves between the people who aspire to be creative and their potential audience and then steal every f**king cent anybody every mad and put it in their pockets to buy f**king huge mega-yachts and Gulfstream Fives. These ..... thieves! It's just stealing. And that they are allowed to get away with it is just incredible". In 2010 Pink Floyd famously sued their record label, EMI, to withdraw their catalogue from iTunes after Apple's platform refused to sell 'Dark Side of the Moon' and other Floyd albums in their entirety - the band did not want individual tracks sold. Waters also takes a pop at consumers, saying he also blames "a whole generation that's grown up who believe that music should be free". Interestingly record labels don't seem to be in Water's line of fire -despite licensing and often being shareholders in many of the digital services Waters berates and paying royalty rates more appropriate for physical product than digital products. That said, the tech companies have been clever in spotting just how important music is - and monetising that. One of the most interesting set of financial figures I have ever seen is the growth of Apple after it entered the music market. For a over a decade niche 'geeky' computer manufacturer with near static turnover, almost immediately after the launch of iTunes Apple grew to be the biggest corporation in the world dominating in computers ales, notebooks and mobile phones - with music sales just an ancillary - but an ancillary that undoubtedly made Apple ever such a cool brand. From 1992 to 2004 Apple's turnover grew from $7 billion to $8 billion: The iPlayer launched in 2001 and iTunes in 2003 and 2004. By 2005 Apple's turnover was $14 billion, 2006 19 billion, 2007 $24 billion, 2008 $35 billion, 2009 $42 billion and 2010 $65 billion. Now that is growth!
Next week at The Great Escape in Brighton an illustrious panel featuring our friend and IP specialist Amanda Harcourt and Andy Edwards (Board Director at Music Managers Forum), Horace Trubridge (Assistant General Secretary at Musicians’ Union), Jane Dyball (CEO at MCPS/IMPEL), Rob Collins (Label Director at Cooking Vinyl) and Vicky Bain (CEO of the British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers & Authors) who are going to debate THE DIGITAL PIE putting the spotlight on one of the biggest music industry debates of the moment: the division of streaming revenues between each of the stakeholders in music. How are the monies divided between labels, publishers, artists and songwriters, and asking - is the current system fair and sustainable? More on The Great Escape, Europe's leading festival for new music here - this panel is on Thursday May 14th part of three days of conference panels, debates, workshops and new bands on show which will also ask 'what's the point of record labels anyway', explain music licensing and 'How to sell out gracefully' and investigate whether 'Music marketing is broken'.
Daniel Voelker, the lawyer representing the 'Prenda Law' trio of attorneys, Paul Hansmeier, John Steele and Paul Duffy and their associated companies before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the hearing into the earlier ruling of US District Court Judge Otis Wright which led to bruising sanctions and a referral to criminal investigators, is having something of a torrid time: ArtsTechnica has an excellent review but here's a little bit flavour: "The entire proceeding was tainted," Voelker said. "Mark Lutz, the CEO of Ingenuity 13, was not allowed to testify. As soon as they asserted their 5th amendment rights, the judge stopped the proceeding. He can't use that against them." The appellate court disagreed: "Sure he can," responded US Circuit Judge Richard Tallman. "He can draw adverse inferences. The district court was trying to gather facts. Your clients didn't appear for the first hearing." And "Explain to me in simple English how this operation worked—from the beginning," said US Circuit Judge Harry Pregerson. "How did they make their money? Who ran this operation?" "I don't know," Voelker said. "You don't know anything, do you?" Pregerson said before Voelker persisted in arguing that the proceeding was tainted and that the sanctions should be thrown out entirely and Judge Pregerson said "Let's say you're right," said . "Do you want us to send this back and have this turn into a criminal contempt proceeding?" ..... "With a potential penalty of life in prison for criminal contempt?" asked Judge Tallman. "They're prepared to run that gauntlet?" Well, despite the judges' warnings, it seems the Prenda trio want their day in court.
With a reported 100,000 people accessing illegal streams of the 'fight of the century' between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiqao using the new Periscope app, despite an injunction (Temporary Restraining Order) banning two other online services from offering free live streams, the CopyKat is wondering if the tweet from Dick Costolo, the CEO of Twitter, owner of Periscope saying "and the winner is ... Periscope" might come back to haunt him. With 'paid for' access to the fight costing anything from £24.95 here in the UK to upwards of $100 elsewhere, the cost of illegal streams via the likes of Periscope and Meerkat is potentially in the tens of millions of dollars, something that likes of HBO, Showtime and Sky TV, who licensed the exclusive rights to the boxing match, will no doubt be most concerned about. Periscope, which is an app (yes, another complexity!) allows a user to broadcast from where he or she is - for example by pointing his iPhone at a TV screen - has been downloaded over 1 million times and was blamed by HBO for facilitating mass copyright infringement after four episodes of the new series of Game of Thrones were leaked and widely shared using the service. The pay-TV offering reportedly generated over $400 million for official broadcasters. Apart from copyright infringement conundrums, the app and the 'social share' concept raises a host of other issues, privacy being at the forefront as the whole world becomes a broadcaster. Hmmmmmmmmm. Much to muse upon!
The Shark is back: Techtimes tells us that Grooveshark.com may be no more, but a limited version of the website has reappeared at Grooveshark.io, providing access to most of the same streaming music as the original Grooveshark, but lacking the playlists and other features. It seems a team of users began backing up all the music on the Grooveshark servers before the streaming service was shuttered last week. The group's leader, who calls himself "Shark," claims he has moved 90 percent of Grooveshark's music to the new site and is working on getting the remaining 10 percent.
And finally - a new book: A Newcomer's Guide to the Music Business is "A quick and simple guide to the music business for those on the verge of taking their first steps into the industry". Written by law graduate and music producer Tito Adesanya, who grew up on a notorious NW London council estate, "the book assists newbies in avoiding the basic mistakes the majority make when entering the music business, while also familiarizing prospective newcomers with industry customs, practices, and the type of working environment they can expect to encounter." And its just £4.99!


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More than half of Americans made at least one purchase on Black Friday, according to PYMNTS Intelligence data. However, not all online transactions were likely successful. According to PYMNTS Intelligence data, nearly 1 in 10 online transactions failed in the last 12 months, which means that on this Black Friday, chances are a good number of online transactions were not completed, resulting in a big portion of missed sales.
Despite the pervasiveness of failed payments and their impact on business volume and customer satisfaction, 82% of online merchants struggle to identify the causes of these failures. Similarly, 67% of online merchants face difficulties recovering customers who experienced failed payments, this being the main reason for customer churn.
These are only some of the key findings drawn from “Fraud Management, False Declines and Improved Profitability,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Nuvei research collaboration that examines the intersection of fraud prevention and failed payments in eCommerce.
According to the study, 72% of firms experienced higher rates of failed payments in cross-border sales compared to domestic sales. This highlights the importance of screening mechanisms that identify fraud and typos for mitigating the incidence of failed payments, especially for international commerce. Visa Chief Risk Officer Paul Fabara said in a recent interview with PYMNTS, “Cross-border sales is an area in which it is worthy to have a journey that at the end of the day is going to provide additional protection to consumers. Opposite to an ACH transaction where consumers have absolutely no protection.”
However, only one-third of firms utilize these screening mechanisms, evidence of a missed opportunity to minimize false declines and recover failed payments. Most eCommerce firms cite customer satisfaction and cybersecurity as benefits to utilize them, but not profitability. Although nearly all firms plan to innovate their anti-fraud toolkits, just 1 in 6 see improved profitability as a benefit.
When implementing anti-fraud measures, the study revealed that most firms rely on third-party providers to find solutions to recover failed payments. This is especially significant when utilizing payment recovery software or payment collection solutions. In this line of argument, “The best way to ensure safe payments,” added Fabara, “is through collaboration between financial institutions, providers, consumers, and merchants, with the support of artificial intelligence (AI).”
Nevertheless, payment failures impact sales, customer satisfaction and operating costs. Six in 10 companies in the study stated they experienced an increased staff workload due to failed payments, resulting in a loss of profitability.
Fabara shared with PYMNTS his good prospects regarding anti-fraud toolkits available for companies: “In 2024, we might expect a quick step with better tools, and accessibility to those tools at relatively low operating cost”.
As long as these systems are perceived as a real solution to retain sales and improve profitability, we might expect further adoption of them.


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MOSCOW. July 28 (Interfax) - Russia's trade surplus totaled $10.8 billion in June, up from $9.1 billion in June 2009, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said at a briefing on Tuesday.
Exports in June totaled $30.7 billion (compared with $24.5 billion in June 2009) and imports amounted to $19.9 billion ($15.4 billion), according to ministry estimates.
Exports in the second quarter totaled $95.9 billion, 40.8% more than in the same quarter last year and 4% more than in the first quarter of 2010.
Imports totaled $58.5 billion, 33.2% more year-on-year and 28% more than in the first quarter.
Much of the increase in consumer demand in the second quarter was met with imports, which is a risk factor for the economic recovery, Klepach said.
Significant ruble weakening, which could help make Russian industry more competitive, seems unlikely under current exchange rate policy, he said.
H1 exports were up 50% year-on-year at $188.2 billion, including increases of 53.6% ($161.6 billion) in exports to countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States and 32% ($26.6 billion) to CIS countries, according to the ministry's figures. The share of non-CIS countries of Russia's exports increased 1.9 of a percentage point and those to CIS countries decreased commensurately.
The steep rise in export value was attributable to substantial price increases for the country's main export goods, particularly oil and non-ferrous metals.
The price for Urals oil was $74.25 per barrel in June, 8.7% up year-on-year and 1.2% higher than in May. The average price in the first half was $75.9 per barrel on the world market, or almost 50% up from the average price in H1 2009.
According to the London Metal Exchange, June prices for nickel and copper were up 29.6% year-on-year, aluminum - 22.7%, and ferrous metals 12.0%. Compared to May, nickel prices were down 11.9%, aluminum 5.3%, copper 4.9%, and ferrous metals 14.7%.
The average H1 price for aluminum was up 50% year-on-year, copper and nickel 80%.
The average Q1 contract price for Russian natural gas at the German border, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was $273.2 per thousand cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 45.7%. The natural gas price was up 6.7% in Q2 from Q1 at $291.4 per 1,000 m3. The June price was 2.4% higher than in May, but was 6.3% down from June of last year.
Initial figures indicate that June exports of oil, natural gas, and bituminous coal were down year-on-year by a respective 3.6%, 8.5%, and 9.9%. June oil exports dipped 0.8% from May, natural gas 9.6%, and bituminous coal 11.8%.
On average for H1, exports of natural gas were up 42.0% year-on-year and bituminous coal 13.3%, but oil exports were 0.9% down.
Imports during the first half were up 26.4% year-on-year at $104.2 billion, including increases of 22.9% for imports from non-CIS countries ($88.7 billion) and 51.1% from CIS countries ($15.5 billion), according to the ministry.
Federal Customs Service (FCS) stats show that imports from non-CIS countries in June were up 32.1% year-on-year in terms of value. Large increases were observed for textile products and footwear (80%), machinery (34.6%), chemicals (30%), and foodstuffs (3.5%).
Compared to May, the value of non-CIS import was up 7.1% in June, that of machinery 5.4%, and of textile products and footwear 1.5%, but of food goods and raw material for their product - down 25.4%.


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Tuesday, December 4, 2007
On the third day of the 2007 Taipei IT Month in Taiwan yesterday, notebook computers and desktop computers built with AMD’s Phenom processor and Intel Penryn processor openly battled for the consumer-market after each company launched their quad core processors.
Intel with partners like Acer, Genuine, ASUS, and Lenovo promoted their desktops with Core 2 Quad and notebooks with Centrino Duo, even though Intel didn’t plan to exhibit in IT Month. Intel’s Taiwan division is holding two road shows for DIY experts. One was on December 1 while the second will be on December 8.
AMD, on the other hand, put on a showcase for IT Month with a “Bee Movie“ booth-style exhibit at halls 1 and 3 of the Taipei World Trade Center. AMD’s subsidiary company ATI showcased HDMI and Full HD with a demonstration of a new graphic card named “Radeon HD2000”.
As the two rivals postured over factors like performance and high-definition, Wikinews reporter Rico Shen interviewed some of their partners. BenQ and Micro-Star International both said: “No matter whether the consumer chooses a computer with AMD or Intel, the consumer should consider it based on functionality and practically before purchasing. For example, some low-price notebook computers (EeePC, OLPC) were launched before the show because notebook computer manufacturers had considered and evaluated what a consumer really want. Sincerely, I recommend a consumer not be fooled by a its price but to consider its functionality first!”


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The fitness industry is trying to optimistically build its case for gyms to reopen, as struggling operators face a bleak outlook and the fear some members will never return.
Like many sectors, the fitness industry was decimated at the flick of a switch last month when the Federal Government ordered non-essential businesses to shutter doors.
Since then, some 35,000 employees in the sector have been stood down and have no clue when they will be allowed back to work.
Fitness Australia chief executive Barrie Elvish said he hoped federal and state governments would consider the "robust" health and safety measures gyms can deploy, as decisions get made about what businesses can reopen over the coming months.
Such strategies include staff wearing face masks and gloves, temperature checking, higher frequency cleaning, reduced class sizes and increased spacing of equipment.
"We believe gyms can safely reopen with social distancing and hygiene requirements in place," Mr Elvish said.
The grim reality is, gyms could be one of the last businesses to be given the all-clear.
Each year the industry contributes $3 billion to the national economy, according to Fitness Australia.
David Noonan, who owns 11 Snap Fitness gyms across Sydney and Brisbane, told nine.com.au "the great unknown" was the single toughest factor he and others faced.
"We don't know when this is going to stop or how long it is going to go for or what restrictions it is going to place on us in the future," he said.
He described telling his 85 staff they were being stood down as "one of the most distressing" things he'd ever done in his life.
"It's the unknown, the uncertainty. We're always able to plan ahead and think about how to deal with something, no matter how negative or positive that might be. But not now."
Many gym owners in Australia were "mum and dad" operations, he said, and it was "natural to expect" some in the business won't reopen.
The NSW opposition health minister, Ryan Park, said countless gym owners and franchisees were under enormous pressure and doing it "really tough" at the moment.
"I can't see them coming back on board any time soon," he said, also acknowledging gyms had been one of the first businesses forced to close.
Gyms faced difficult challenges to manage social distancing and to ensure equipment was COVID-19-free, he said.
"Unfortunately, with this virus that is a very big risk."
Health advice on gyms and reopening had not been finalised, Mr Park said.
Jiu Jitsu and Karate black belt Ian Pollet, who owns around a dozen martial arts academies across NSW, is running online classes until he can open up again.
But even when he gets the green light, Mr Pollet fears what sort of shape Australia's fitness sector will be in.
"Our industry will suffer quite heavily," he said.
"There will be members we lose forever. As much as people say they will come back, the reality is that after three or four months of no classes some will be gone."
He optimistically hoped that unconfirmed rumours of a June opening might be true.
But he conceded no-one had "any idea" if that was feasible or not.
"The government has to look at the numbers and the safety for the community."
Mr Pollet said he'd seen nothing like this in his 40 years in the business.
"We don't really know what the outcome will be.
"There are times we have to fight through slow periods, but this is the worst I have ever seen it."
Contact me: firstname.lastname@example.org
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As autonomous trucking edges closer to market, technology providers and their potential customers are testing competing strategies for how driver less big rigs could help them make money in the real world.
Several startups are building out prototype fleets and hauling freight for big shippers that hope autonomous trucks could help cut transportation costs and speed up deliveries. Other companies with self-driving trucking technology are trying to plug into existing operations, striking agreements with truck makers and large trucking fleets that they believe could eventually buy thousands of autonomous tractors.
Transport operators Ryder System Inc., NFI Industries Inc., and the U.S. supply-chain arm of German logistics giant Deutsche Post AG are working with Ike Robotics Inc., a San Francisco-based startup that plans to offer its automated trucking technology through a software subscription model.
Those fleets, along with others whose names the startup didn’t disclose, are collectively reserving the first 1,000 heavy-duty trucks powered by Ike’s technology, the companies said Tuesday.
New Jersey-based NFI, whose services include port trucking and intermodal truck-rail transport, is evaluating how autonomous trucks would integrate with its dedicated trucking operations moving freight from customers’ warehouses to retail stores. Self-driving big rigs could handle longer highway portions of those regional runs, such as the 250-mile trip between the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Houston, said NFI President Ike Brown.
Because autonomous trucks wouldn’t be bound by rules that limit most commercial drivers to 11 hours behind the wheel, “We could use that asset, the truck, almost on a 24-hour basis,” Mr. Brown said.
That would lower the costs, making over-the-road service more competitive with intermodal rail-truck service, which is typically cheaper, he said. “I think automated trucking is going to bite into the intermodal market.”
Tapping into big carriers’ logistics networks and operational expertise means Ike can focus on the technology piece-systems engineering, safety, and technical challenges such as computer vision-said Chief Executive Alden Woodrow.
“They are going to help us make sure we build the right product, and we are going to help them prepare to adopt it and be successful,” said Mr. Woodrow, who worked on self-driving trucks at Uber Technologies Inc. before co-founding Ike in 2018.
The question of whether autonomous truck businesses will seek to drive around existing operators or work with trucking’s array of equipment suppliers and logistics providers is growing as self-driving technology gets closer to widespread adoption. As companies show robot trucks can run on roads, they’re under more pressure to show they can operate profitably.
Rival startup TuSimple Inc. is also working with big logistics operators but taking a different approach, , bulking up its delivery business moving freight for companies such as grocery and food-service distributor McLane Co. as it builds a planned coast-to-coast autonomous freight network.
Starsky Robotics, an autonomous trucking venture that also ran its own trucking business, shut down this year, citing reasons including “that investors really didn’t like the business model of being the operator.”
Karen Jones, Ryder’s chief marketing officer, said Ike’s business model factored into the decision to work with the startup, along with its approach to safety. “Not operating their own fleet—that’s a win,” she said. “It’s important for us to work with companies that want to enhance [our capabilities], not compete.”
Some ventures aim to automate trips door-to-door, while others, including Ike, are focused on highway moves with handoffs to human drivers to navigate surface streets, which experts say could provide a faster path to automation.
“Divided highway transportation, that’s the easiest problem to solve and the most challenging for finding drivers,” said Jim Monkmeyer, president of North American transportation for Deutsche Post’s DHL Supply Chain, which is reserving several hundred Ike-equipped trucks.
Still, those vehicles aren’t likely to form big fleets for a while, Ike said.
“It will be several years before automated trucks without drivers are operating commercially, and longer to reach any meaningful scale,” said Mr. Woodrow.


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The Grammys are using Snapchat to lure younger viewers
The music industry’s Recording Academy is using Snapchat to get younger people interested in the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12.
On Saturday, Jan. 21, The Recording Academy premiered a four-part Snapchat video series called “Pop Before the Drop,” a man-on-the-street-style game show in which host and YouTube star Jack Baran grills people on the streets of Los Angeles about past Grammy winners in various categories. Contestants have 10 seconds (the maximum length of a Snapchat video) to answer questions to win various Grammy-branded apparel and merchandise.
The first two episodes of “Pop Before the Drop,” which aired on Jan. 21 and 28 on The Recording Academy’s personal Snapchat account, attracted half a million viewers in total.
“As one of today’s most popular social networks, Snapchat helps us become more deeply engaged in the daily music conversation,” Evan Greene, CMO of The Recording Academy, said in a statement. The Snapchat show “will spark an instantaneous connection with music fans, driving engagement, and creating even more excitement for the Grammys.”’
For The Recording Academy, the show is an effort to bring back younger viewers to the annual Grammys telecast. Last year, the show received close to 25 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Among 18- to 49-year-olds, the telecast posted a 7.7 rating (meaning 7.7 percent of all U.S. TV viewers in that age demographic tuned in to the broadcast). That was a decline from an 8.5 rating the previous year.
Meanwhile, a majority of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 and 35. Younger users are also more engaged: At the end of 2016, users younger than 25 years old were visiting Snapchat more than 20 times and spending more than 30 minutes per day on the app; users 25 and older were averaging 12 visits and 20 minutes in time spent every day, according to Snap’s recent IPO filing.
Having Baran host the show is also another play at attracting people who spend more time on social apps than watching linear TV. Baran is known for his musical tastes, with 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube and 130,000 followers on Spotify, where he regularly releases playlists.
Aside from hosting “Pop Before the Drop,” Baran has been using his personal Snapchat account and other social platforms to drive people to new episodes of the show. He will also work with The Recording Academy and Delmondo to create content for multiple Snapchat Live Stories the organization has planned for the night of the Grammys.
“As everyone tries to tap into younger audiences, social stars like Jack are perfect because they already speak the language that many of them pay attention to,” said Nick Cicero, CEO of Delmondo, the digital studio and analytics company that created the game for The Recording Academy. “It’s helping bring a fresh, new voice to The Recording Academy and the Grammys themselves.”
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